Communiqué 15th Africa-EU Ministerial Meeting

EU Within the framework of the Africa-EU Dialogue, the 15th Ministerial Meeting took place in Lilongwe, Malawi, on 19 November 2010. The Meeting was co-chaired by of H.E Mohamed Taher Siala, Secretary for Cooperation at the General Peoples’ Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation at the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and H.E. Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development.

The African side was also composed by H.E. Dr Maxwell. M. MKWEZALAMBA, AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs, and H.E. Ambassador Ramtane LAMAMRA, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security and Patrick Kabambe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Malawi.

1. Preparations for the 3rd EU Africa Summit

Ministers exchanged views on the preparations for the 3rd Africa-EU Summit scheduled for 29-30 November, 2010 in Tripoli, Libya and welcomed the efforts exerted by all stakeholders to ensure a successful summit.

Ministers welcomed and endorsed the draft documents to be adopted at the next Africa-EU Summit, notably the Tripoli Declaration the second Action Plan 2011-13 and noted the Joint Declaration on Climate Change. Ministers underscored the need to ensure the effective implementation of the Action Plan once adopted by the Africa-EU Summit in Tripoli. They recalled the principles underlying the Joint Strategy and reiterated the need to deliver concrete positive results for the peoples of Africa, European Union and beyond. Ministers then agreed to recommend the draft documents for adoption by the Tripoli Summit on 29-30 November 2010.

Ministers also welcomed ongoing arrangements by the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for the successful hosting of the Summit.

Ministers recalled the Lisbon commitment to “build a new strategic political partnership for the future, overcoming the traditional donor-recipient relationship and building on common values and goals in our pursuit of peace and stability, democracy and rule of law, progress and development”. In this regard, Ministers emphasised the strategic importance of the Africa-EU partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance dialogue and cooperation with a view to addressing issues of common concern and emerging global challenges.

2. Political and Development issues

In addition, Ministers exchanged views on urgent issues of common concern and highlighted in particular the following points:

(a) Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
Ministers stressed the need to strengthen engagement in political dialogue at the appropriate level with a view to finding solutions to common concerns on EPAs. In this regard, Ministers viewed the third Africa-EU Summit as a good opportunity for such dialogue. Discussions should focus on the necessity to reiterate the respective commitments to conclude EPAs in a mutually satisfactory way.

(b) Climate Change:
Ministers reaffirmed the principles of the December 2008 Africa-EU Declaration on Climate Change and the Africa-EU Declaration to be endorsed by the next Africa-EU Summit which commits Africa and the EU to enhance dialogue and cooperation and exchange on concrete actions in climate change issues.

Ministers underlined Africa-EU joint commitment to the objectives and principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol and emphasised the necessity to conclude negotiations on a strengthened, fair and effective global agreement for the climate change regime after 2012. Ministers stressed the importance of a balanced and comprehensive outcome in Cancun.

Ministers acknowledged that even with the achievement of limiting climate change to not more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, adaptation must be treated at least with equal importance as mitigation.

(c) Principle of Universal Jurisdiction
Ministers had an exchange of views on the application of the principle of Universal Jurisdiction as an issue which has an impact on the partnership.

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